One side to another
by Sun-Moon-Stars-PEACE
Summary: A young fairy journeys to a new place and finds herself.


The Sorrow and Never Series

By: Maryah McCarthy

Storm

There are two kinds of fairies. One that is made out of pure joy of a baby. And one that is made out of the sorrow of a baby. These two types of Fairies do not have anything to do with one another. They prefer as much space between them as possible. It was once said that there is a way to change a sorrow Fairy to a Joy Fairy. But it would take a great deal of magic.

Joy Fairies are also called Never Fairies. Sorrow Fairies are called Sorrow Fairies. Some Never Fairies don't think that Sorrow Fairies should have anything. They don't, can't, find joy in things. They always look for the bad things in a situation. Never Fairies and Sorrow Fairies never grow old. They both live on islands. Although they are separated mostly by water. They two islands can connect in times of need but they never have, and probably never will. But Butter Fire is a bit difficult to persuade. She doesn't listen to anyone. She accepts advice and keeps her mind set on one thing. Butter, for short, is a Never Fairy that never seems to lose hope in something. Even when it looked for the end of her life, she continued to fight. And she did. And in turn she gained a new friend.

Butter Fire was looking at the other side of the island. Actually, it was the other island, but she believed that it was all connected but it was just submerged. Butter wanted to go to the other island. She had always wanted to go. But she hadn't found a way to get past the guard. If we were allowed to go anywhere, I would be over there right now, thought Butter. She thought about how her mentor told her, "You must listen to the old gods. They are very strict about us going to the other side." But lately, her mentor had been inspiring the idea. Butter sighed and told herself, "Maybe one day. But today, your fetching water for your old and crazy mentor." She laughed; she was the only Never Fairy who talked to herself. She thought it was funny, everyone else just thought it annoying. She picked up the shell, carefully, and started to fly toward her tree. Her mentor had come to stay when his wife kicked him out. She was careful not to get any water on her wings. She got to her tree. She went to put the water in the tank. Just as she was finishing, her mentor came running out of the tree yelling, "Help! Help, my student has gone missing!" Butter laughed. She flew over to her mentor and said, "Mentor, I'm right here! Stop shouting!" Her Mentor looked at her for a minute. Then grabbed her arm. Butter was used to this, but not the strength. She yelped and her mentor said, "Stop your whining. You haven't been over to the other side have you?" Butter yelped again and shook her head. Her mentor stopped and let go. He inquired, "Why not? Didn't I tell you to go over to the island and drop off the book?" Butter giggled and answered, "No, you told me not to go over to the other side." Her mentor shook his head and picked up the bag he had been carrying. He shoved it at her and said, "Don't come back until you've given the book to Sir Buttersin." He shook his hand at Butter. She looked confused but started toward the other island. She shrugged and looped the bag around her waist. She flew to the home tree. She went to find her sister, Butterscotch. She found her with her boyfriend in the big dining room. Butter rolled her eyes and slammed her hands on the table. Butterscotch looked up and smirked. She asked, "What? Do you need _another _mentor? You can't seem to keep the other ones." Her boyfriend, Razor Leaf, laughed and snorted, "How many have you gone through? Eight?" Butter looked at him and anger welled up inside her and she thought hard on him being all sticky and gooey. He ended up having bubble gum stuck in his wings and hair. Butterscotch was clearly angry. She spat, "Why can't I have a normal sister? What do you want?" Butter looked at her older sister and thought hard on her being nice. And, like always, it didn't happen. She sighed and said, "I came to ask you if you could baby-sit my mentor. You know how he gets now a days. Plea-" Butterscotch cut her off and said, "No. Your mentor your problem." She and Razor Leaf got up and left. Butter knew she couldn't make her sister nicer, but she could imagine her slipping and being embarrassed in front of everyone. And in the end, she did. The whole dining room laughed. Next, Butter went to find her friend, Apple Pie. She found her too. She was in the kitchen with her sisters Pumpkin Pie, Blueberry Pie, Mint Pie, and Cherry Pie. All the Pie's were baking. Butter managed to get Apple alone. She asked, "Can you check on my mentor like almost every hour?" Apple's face turned apologetic and she apologized, "I'm sorry no. None of the Pie's can. We're all working hard on getting dinner set up. The Queen is coming." Butter shrugged and said, "Okay." She turned and flew away. She went to the pond and found Turtle. She went over to Turtle and asked, "Hey! Can you do me a favor?" Turtle being happy to do anything said, "Of coarse." Butter smiled and requested, "Can you check on my mentor? I have to run an errand for him and I can't leave him alone. He'll drown or something." Turtle smiled and nodded, "I'll fly over there now. I don't have anything to do." He said bye and left. I let out a relieved breath. Now to the other side.

Butter was flying faster than she ever had. She got to the guard and he stopped her as usual. He groaned and asked, "Don't you ever sleep?" Butter beamed and answered, "No sir. But my mentor wants me to deliver something on the other side. So I have a pass. Will you, oh great guard, allow me to pass on behalf of my mentor's permission?" The guard studied her for a moment then rolled his eyes, he sprinkled so drops of dried dew on Butter and answered, "I will let you pass on behalf of you mentor. Be safe and be wished." He opened the gate and before he could warn Butter of anything else she shot through the open gate. She was racing into another wonderful adventure.

Butter didn't realize that the other island was so dark. She felt a chill drift over her. She stopped flying and looked up. She saw a giant hawk watching her. She was going to fly as fast as she could but then she looked behind her and there was another hawk. She slowly spun around in a circle; there were hawks surrounding her completely. She was trapped. Butter slowly turned to face the hawk she saw first. It was still staring at her. She took a deep breath and said, "I mean you no harm, you mean me no harm, so just fly away…NOW!" It gave the opposite reaction she wanted. They all flew, yes, but straight at _her._ She was so frightened that she acted on instinct. She flew straight. Blundering right into the big hawk. She felt her wings being pricked and torn. She felt her dress being shrew across the grass. She did not feel them tearing into her skin though. She could still feel most of her dress pressing against her skin. But she did feel something very sharp pressed into her back, right between her wings. She opened her eyes and saw the under belly of the hawk. She waited to be fed to little hawks; instead she felt herself dropping. Her wings were broken and she could not slow her fall. She felt herself hitting branches, leaving deep gauges in her skin. All the while thinking, 'some adventure that was. But at least I got to the other side. I'm falling and there is nothing I can do about it. Sigh.' Then she hit the hard ground. And she blacked out and Butter thought forever.

Butter could hear voices, but none were familiar. One seemed lazy and uninterested. Another sounded interested and anxious. The anxious one said, "We have to help her! She'll die!" The lazy voice yawned and said, "Look, I brought her in. That doesn't mean I have to care. And it's her fault for going straight into a hawks tree. She came here and it's not our responsibility." The anxious voice grew stern and retorted, "Shie! How can you say that? She will die! While you sit there and make fun of her hair!" The lazy voice, that Butter guessed was Shie, said, "Well her hair is quite different from what we have here. And I'm not sitting, I'm standing." Butter liked this person, well laid back. Butter whispered, "My hair is stupid. I always wished it were a lot darker. It doesn't give you away when you're sneaking around." Butter could feel the pain now. Shie laughed silently. The anxious voice asked, "Sweetie? Can you feel the pressure on your right hand?" Butter did. She answered, "OWWW!" It hurt a whole bunch. The anxious voice apologized, "I'm sorry it hurts. Can you feel the pressure on you left hand? Left wing? Right wing?" Butter answered, "Left hand, yes. Wings…OWWW!" She could barely _feel_, only pain. The anxious voice said, "Okay, so you have a, just as I thought, a broken wrist and two broken wings. You won't be able to fly. And I hope you're a lefty." Butter moaned. She was most defiantly not a lefty. Shie asked, "Are you in pain?" Butter detected a hint of anxiousness in his voice. Butter sat up, with the other voice whispering, "No, no." She opened her eyes and saw Shie. He had dark hair thrown over his left eye, which were as dark as night with no stars to light the sky. He was slightly taller than Butter. He had dark, but still clear, wings. He was quite handsome. Butter looked at him then switched her gaze to the other fairy. She zeroed in on the other fairy. Who was just standing there, watching her as if waiting for her to attack him. Butter cocked her head asked, "Should I know you? You look familiar." Shie chuckled. The fairy that had been watching her anxiously, relaxed. He came over to her and answered, "No, you shouldn't know me. I'm a doctor. I've set everything that's broken. Your lucky Shie found you and that those hawks didn't tear you to shreds." Butter hoped up and started to stretch. She hated when her muscles got all tight. She started to hear her joints pop, then she felt eyes on her. She turned around to ask, "What?" Both men were staring at her, gaping. Butter stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. She put her most snotty voice and said, "You got a problem with being fit?" Shie recovered first and answered, "No, it's just that most of the girls on this island don't have muscle. They don't even stretch." The doctor still hadn't recovered and when he did, Butter remembered him. She squealed, "Now I remember!" She did a back flip and landed on her healed arm. She straightened up and walked over to where her bag was. She searched within it for a minute or two and found what she was looking for. She pulled out her mentors finished book. She walked back to the doctor and asked, "Are you Sir Buttersin?" The doctor looked at her, surprised. He nodded slowly and Butter twirled around in a circle and cried, "I found you! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!" Butter pushed the book toward Sir Buttersin and said, "My mentor finished writing it and he wanted you to have the first copy. I was sent over to give it to you." Sir Buttersin took the book and said, "Thank you. Your mentor is very special to have you. Will you be going back over to the other island now?" Butter thought about it and shook her head. The doctor smiled. He inquired, "Do you have anyone to stay with?" Again, Butter shook her head. Buttersin smiled and said, "You can stay with us. Me and Shie live in the same tree. We were just leaving." Buttersin motioned and Butter followed him. The three of them left and headed deep into the woods. Butter got anxious and asked, "What if hawks come and we don't see them?" Shie answered, "They don't mess with me. They won't hurt you." Butter wasn't entirely convinced. Then it happened. A toad jumped out of the bushes and Butter recognized him. She squealed, "Slime Foot!" The frog looked at her for a minute, then croaked, "Butter Fire! How good to see you! Found a talent yet?" He croaked his croaked laughed and Butter shot, "Oh I have one. Want to see?" Slime Foot nodded and Butter thought of herself as a big snake that would scare all the Slime off of Slime Foot. She felt herself grow and morph. When she next looked at the ground Slime Foot was sprouting warts and popping them. He was truly frightened. Shie and Buttersin were also frightened. Butter laughed and made a _pop! _sound and shrunk back down to a fairy. Slime Foot asked, "What you can morph into other animals?" Butter smiled and shook her head. She snorted, "No, I can think of something and it happens." Slime Foot nodded and hopped away, looking frightened. Butter laughed and Shie asked, "Your name is Butter Fire?" Butter turned to him and smiled and answered, "Yes, why do you care?" He shook his head and continued on. Finally, they reached a very old oak tree. Butter looked up and asked, "All this is yours?" The doctor nodded and said, "Myself, Shie, Shie's sister. Just us three. It gets quite lonely sometimes. It will be good to have a new family member." Then they walked in. A shadow pasted them in an instant. A dreary voice said, "Oh, it's only you. I thought it might be the waterman. New girl…she's weird looking." Then the shadow was gone. Butter thought, 'maybe they are like everyone says.' Buttersin showed her where she could sleep. He told her, "I'm putting you across from Shie's room, okay? That way you can ask him for anything you need." Butter only nodded. The room was all flowers. It was all red too. Butter was so tired when she saw the bed. That before she explored anything, she went straight to the bed and fell asleep.

Butter awoke with a start. She heard a strange sound. But it soon stopped. Butter looked around her thinking, 'Where am I? Oh, yeah. I'm in the dark island.' She got up and went to look in the closet. It was full of red and black wear. Butter thought this odd, but found a dress that had a black top and a red bottom, that puffed out when she twirled. She would explore now. She looked into every nook and cranny. She found a book of pictures. A musical box, that played a beautiful tune. A small chest full of jewelry. And that was all to be found. She decided to see if Shie would show her around. She went out onto the landing and crossed over to Shie's door. She knocked but no one answered. Butter didn't like locked doors that didn't answer. So she willed the door to be _unlocked. _Butter heard the pop of the lock and she pushed the door open. She found Shie. And he was still sleeping. She liked his room though. It was all dark and there were stars on the walls. As well as the planets, the moon, and the sun in one corner. She didn't want to disturb Shie, so she left. Butter wandered down. She didn't know what to look for. She looked into every open door. But she found the same in almost every room. But one room captured her interest. It had many books, but also things like plants, furniture, pictures, and a toucan sitting on the deck. But she found one thing in the room interesting. It was a ball, and it looked like a crystal. She went to investigate more of it. She was just bending over it when she heard a shuffle behind her. Shie was leaning on the door frame, watching her. He scowled and said, "Some things are the way they are for a reason." Butter looked at the toucan for a moment, trying to understand what he was saying. Then she got it. She looked at him and scowled too. She pouted, "I don't like locked doors. You never find out what's behind them." She turned away from him and went to the toucan. She nearly missed her. Lina was hovering right there. When Butter finally saw her she gasped. Lina was alive! She was caught in a storm years ago. No one ever found her. Lina looked at Butter and squealed, "Oh my God! Butter! I'm so glad you're here!" Butter smiled and started to vibrate, but then remembered she couldn't fly. Butter's face fell. Shie had joined them and was looking at Lina. He asked, "You're not supposed to be over here till dawn. Tomorrow." Lina looked at him and stuck out her tongue. Butter looked at the toucan; she watched him, waiting for him to move. Butter said, without taking her eyes off the toucan, "Lina has short term memory loss. It probably got worse after the storm." Shie snorted but said no more. Lina looked at Butter and asked, "Why you don't fly?" Butter finally tore her eyes away from the toucan and wailed, "I CAN'T!" Then she willed Lina to be gone. Far away. Lina looked surprised, then confused. Then she was gone. The Butter turned to the toucan and willed him to move. She had seen his problem. He had no reason to move. Butter hated animals that were meant to move that didn't. Butter shrieked, "FIRE!" The toucan took off flying. She was exhausted, she had never used her willing so close together. And sending Lina far away had taken a lot. Lina would be back though. So Butter went to the end of the deck. She looked how far it was down. Shie cautioned, "It's a long way down. So don't try." Butter liked to test things. So she just stepped off deck and fell. She heard Shie gasp, then she heard his wings. They were right over her. But her experiment wasn't done. She willed herself to have wings, beautiful dragonfly wings. That were a substitute for her fairy wings. She felt herself being yanked up. She didn't feel pain. She looked and she saw dragonfly wings. She laughed and flew in a circle. She heard Shie muttering something. Butter turned to him and said, "You should let me experiment. At home, no one dares to try and stop me." Shie looked really mad. He hissed, "Your not at _home_! And you shouldn't be flying. I see two sets of wings. Dragonfly _and_ fairy." Butter couldn't understand why Shie was so angry. Butter flew back to the deck and let the dragonfly wings go. She laughed when she saw that the whole dragonfly had done her bidding. She waved and cried, "Thank you!" As the dragonfly flew off, Shie asked, "Do you want breakfast or not?" He turned on his heal and left. Butter skipped alongside him. She commented, "Back where I live, my people say that your all hopeless. You don't find joy in anything. But I don't think that's true. You seem to find joy in your own room." Shie looked at her and scowled. Butter continued, "You, personally, like the night sky. I like it because no one's really explored it. My sister once found me asleep in a lily, covered in dew. _On my brother's wedding day! _She wasn't too happy. But I laughed. My sister belongs here. She doesn't find joy in anything. Except with her boyfriend, Razor Leaf. But he's a pile of hawk droppings! He's so rude! Once he-" Shie's sister came out of no where and shrieked, "Did you say _Razor Leaf?" _Butter looked at her for a moment. And nodded. Shie's sister left moaning. Butter stopped talking and walking. She suddenly saw her sister. She saw her looking for something. Suddenly Butterscotch shouted, "Dang it! Why do you always have to disappear at good times! I'll kill you if I find you Butter! I will!" Butter fell backwards. And scoffed, "In her dreams! She can't catch me, especially in the moonlight!" Butter then registered her pain. She jumped up faster than she ever had and whimpered. She would have to watch herself. Shie was nowhere to be seen. So Butter shrugged and went outside. She went a little ways before she found a puddle of water. She knelt next to it and touched her palm to the water surface. She murmured, "Butterscotch." Then the puddle made a picture of her face. Then the face started to screech, "Butter! Where are you? Mom wants you home! LIKE RIGHT NOW! YOU BETTER GET YOUR LITTLE GREEN CLAD BUTT HERE NOW! I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU ARE! HOME! NOW!" Before Butter could say a thing, her sister vanished from the puddle. Butter was shaken. Her mother never wanted her. She went back inside. She walked straight into the kitchen. Shie was making breakfast. She walked over to Shie and said, "I'm sorry. I have to go home now. My mother wants me for some reason. Probably a stupid reason." Shie looked up, then back down to breakfast. He said, without looking up, "Our mother died three years ago. She hit her head against a tree and never woke up." Butter couldn't piece together what her meant. So what his mother was dead? What did it have to do with her? Before she had time to ask, he said, "You can't fly, so you can't leave." Butter looked at him hotly and retorted, "I can leave. Remember? Dragonfly wings?" Shie sighed and shrugged. Butter left the kitchen and went back outside. She heard two people walking behind her. She stopped at the edge, where the puddle was, and thought. I wanted an adventure. And now I have it. And I'm just going to throw it away for my _mother? _I'd rather live here. Butter turned around and saw a cobra. It was right there. Butter gaped and made a squeaky sound. Butter backed up a step. Butter was truly frightened. The cobra looked at her and opened it's hood. It hissed, "What have we here? A little tassty fairy? Oh, you will be very nicce indeed." Butter could think. She remembered something out of the animal book she got for Christmas. Cobras hated magic. And they hated any other cobra on their territory, that wasn't a mate, child, or friend. Even friends got killed. The cobra started to slither toward her. Butter tried to remember other things. Cobra's hated hawks. Butter instantly thought of a hawk. She wished she could be one. And suddenly, she was one. The cobra hissed and pulled back. But never closed it's hood. Butter didn't know how to work a hawks body. But cobra's didn't fear a grounded hawk. So Butter gave it her best shot. She flapped and she was instantly lifted into the air. The cobra hissed and lashed out. It caught Butter on the foot. It hurt, but Butter never stopped flapping. Butter flapped harder and the cobra let go. Butter looked down at the cobra, and turned into an owl. She hooted, "You will never eat me! Instead, I will eat you!" Butter angled and dived. She caught the cobra right behind the hood in her beak. The cobra gave a horrified high-pitched scream. Butter started to fly away, when she remembered she was a fairy and this owl was only a disguise. She shook the cobra and bit harder. The cobra continued to scream it's high-pitch, glass-shattering, Earth-shaking, scream. Butter rotated her head, as if she _were_ an owl, when she heard the familiar shuffle of feet. The cobra hung squirming in Butter's beak still. Butter saw Shie, and for some odd reason he looked frightened of her. She shook the cobra more and bit harder. Finally, the high-pitched scream ended and the vicious snake hung limp in her beak. She threw it aside. And glided over to Shie. She landed only a few feet away. And he looked very tasty. Butter shook her head, but she still lunged for Shie. Butter commanded herself to stop, just as she was about to catch him in her beak. She shook her head and willed her to be normal. A fairy. Then she saw the ground at a very close level. She looked at her fingers. They were _fingers_, not wings. She was so happy. Then she remembered her attack. She jumped up and realized she was very close to Shie. She was so close, that when she jumped up, Shie nearly fell over. Butter thrust her arm out and caught Shie by the wrist. She helped him back up and stepped back. She saw her face in his eyes. A mirrored image. She apologized, "I'm _so_ sorry! I don't understand. Normal animal instinct doesn't usually take over. But it did. I didn't mean to! I couldn't think straight as an owl. Please forgive me!" Shie was looking at her, as if trying to figure out if she really was a fairy. He scoffed, "_Usually? _Are you _usually_ an animal? What happened? I heard a scream and it sounded like you. I didn't see you, but I saw a owl killing a cobra. What happened?" Butter fell then. She was really tired. She hadn't meant to morph into two different things. She didn't even mean to kill. She was so shaken by the killing. Butter couldn't think of anything else but the cobra facing her. Shie saw how tired she was and helped her up. He put her one arm around her waist and the other pulling her hand over his neck. By the time they got to the front door, Butter was asleep. Shie marveled her. Being able to sleep after being attack, or nearly. Shie thought, 'Oh! This is pointless!' he dropped her arm and picked Butter up. To where her head leaned against his chest. He got the door opened and took her upstairs. He set her on the bed that she'd slept in last night and watched her for a minute. She had smelled like the forest after a big rain. And she looked so perfect. But then he heard his sister hiss. He turned around and walked out of the room. Shie asked Megan, "What do you want?" Megan held her head high and answered, "Don't get attached. Love sucks. Razor Leaf did the same to me." Megan left. Shie stared after her and shook his head. He headed to his room. When he locked the door, he went over to the closet and opened it. He reached to the very top of the shelf. He felt around for the charred White Wood box. He found it and took it down. He went to his bed and sat down. He opened the box and took out a picture. It was the picture of a girl. It looked just like Butter. She had flowing brown hair. In the sunlight it was tinged red. She had a slim frame. Big brown eyes, that looked like vats of milk chocolate. She was smiling at the person taking the picture. She wore a red dress. It looked like a lily turned upside down, dyed red. The girl was smiling, being happy. And in fact the picture taker was Shie.

Butter woke up fast. She knew last she had been outside and that Shie had helped her to the front door. But she couldn't remember anything after that. It was dark outside. She thought, 'There's no way I could have slept that long.' She got up and was rewarded with being thrown against the door. The tree had swayed, really hard. Butter got up into a crawling position. Butter crawled away from the door. Just as Shie slammed the door open. Shie looked around and saw Butter on the floor. He came over to her and helped her up. He whispered in her ear, "It's just a really bad storm. There's nothing to be afraid of." Butter got annoyed and demanded, "Why would I be afraid?" Shie was taken back, he shook his head and answered, "No reason. Lets go. Your room isn't safe." Butter let him take her arm and lead her out of her room. They went downstairs. When they got to the ground floor, they went into the living room. Shie let go of her and went to open the floor boards. It turned out to be a trap door, made for when a really bad storm crossed the tree. Shie motioned for her to go down. But before she took one step, a branch slammed through the window. Cutting off her path. Butter screamed. The branch rolled violently toward her. She tried to duck as the wind picked it up and threw it at her. But it still hit her in the head. She blacked out before she hit the ground.

Shie had to leave Butter to open the dugout door. He left her by the doorframe of the living room. He opened it and saw his sister. He turned around and motioned for Butter to go down. Before she stepped, a giant branch came threw the window. It blocked Shie's few to Butter. He heard her scream. Then he saw a gust of wind, sweep the branch up and hurtle it at Butter. He tried to reach out, as if to stop the branch, but Megan grabbed him around the middle and pulled. Shie went backward into the dugout. He scrambled up fast and saw Butter's eyes roll back. He watched helplessly as she sunk to the floor. He wanted to help, but at the moment he couldn't. Shie didn't close the dugout doors. But he didn't have to. Wind pushed them closed. And somehow barged them closed. Shie tried in vain to push them open, but no anvil. He spun to the periscope. He pushed it up so he could see. He watched Butter as everything passed her. Nothing hit her. Didn't even come in three inches of her. Then he saw Butter stir. And he thought, 'Maybe's there's hope after all.'

Butter had seen the branch hit her. She remembered blacking out. She guessed that at this moment she was in coma. She was remembering things from her childhood. Her getting a brand new lily red dress. She remembered twirling and smiling all day. Then Shie, a younger version, taking her picture. But her mother made her change out of it. She agreed so that way she didn't get it dirty. She was so glad that Shie was there. She never went far without him following. And vise-versa. They were trouble makers. Then, on her birthday, there was a really big storm. She and Shie got separated from their parents. She remembered how annoying Megan, Shie's little sister, was being. She kept whining. Saying, "I want mama!" or "I want to go home!" or "I hate Minty! I didn't even want to come!" Butter had been annoyed with her. But then an owl came out of a hole in a tree. He hopped down to where the three children fairies were. They had been holding on to the roots of a White Wood. The owl came down and hooted, "Do you want a dry place to stay while you wait out the storm?" Before Shie or Megan said anything, she had burst out, "Yes! Thank you, oh, thank you brother owl!" The owl had taken her up first then Megan, then Shie. Shie had whispered, "How do you know he won't kill or eat us?" Butter had whispered back, "Killing and eating us would be the same thing. Because I heard of him. He saves fairies. Not eats them." Shie had always trusted her and he would trust her till the end of time. Then the owl came back and nestled next to them. Trying to keep them warm. Shie and Butter had fallen asleep, leaning against each other. And Megan had fallen asleep on a nest of fallen out feathers. Later, when the storm had reached massive destruction, Megan had gotten up to get a drink. And she had slipped. She had cried out, loud enough to wake Shie, Butter, and the owl. The owl cried, "Oh, I cannot get her! She is too close and still too far away! I'll be broken before I reach her!" Butter had gone down to help her without a moments hesitation. She had pushed Megan up into the hole, but just as she was getting up an acorn knocked her in the back of the head. The last thing Butter remembered was Shie calling out her name in agony. She had fallen out of the tree and was swept away into the newly made river. She had woken up not remembering who she was. Nor who her family was. So she adopted the one who had healed her back to health. In adopting, she had gained a new and older sister. And now Butter remembered who she was. And her name wasn't Butter Fire, it was…Shie's voice! She knew she was coming out of coma. And she wanted to see Shie. And tell him how different he was. She struggled through blackness. And finally, she hit consciousness. She opened her eyes and saw the owl hovering over her. She moaned, "Brother owl, save me." And Brother owl hooted. He hovered up a bit and grabbed her in his claws. And he took off. He left the ruined house.

Shie watched as an owl came and stood protectively over Butter. Shie recognized him as the owl who saved them when they were all children. Then he cried out Butter's name. And Butter seemed to wake up. She had moaned something. And the owl had hooted in response. Then the owl picked Butter up in his claws and flew off. Shie slumped against the dugout wall. Megan had come over next to him. She said, "You know what this reminds me of? _Her_ birthday. Swept away in a storm. And she'll never come back. Never. Just like those years ago. How many years has she been gone? Eleven?" Shie was so angry at his sister that he turned to her and roared, "YES! ELEVEN! AND SHE IS MUCH MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!" Megan shrunk away to the other side, whimpering. They waited for what seemed like days. Finally, they heard the storm lessen a bit. Soon after they heard the Buttersin come back from work. They heard him grunt and groan, trying to get out what ever was sealing the dugout door shut. Finally, Sir Buttersin's face popped into the open door. Shie was relieved. He wouldn't have to endure his sister any longer. Shie jumped out and looked around. Their home was most defiantly ruined. Buttersin asked, "Where's Butter?" Shie looked at him and moaned, "Brother Owl took her." Buttersin's eyes widened. He said, "Then lets go find her. You know where his home is. The storm has passed." Shie shook his head. He did know where Brother Owl's home was. Somewhere in the back of his mind. But he could remember. It wasn't in the _front_ of his mind. Megan moaned and shrieked, "I know where it is. Lets go." So they set off. They followed Megan. And sure enough, they found the White Wood. The one with two perfectly cut squares in the bark. One deeper than another. Shie took a deep breath and flew up. As did Megan and Buttersin.

Butter looked up. She was back in the hole in the White Wood. Brother Owl was hooting a song. As goes:

_White Wood, White Wood_

_Serve happy and long_

_Serve the White fairy_

_Serve White Brother Owl_

_White Wood, White Wood_

_Live long and happy_

_Live and cherish_

_White Wood,_

_White Wood._

Butter didn't think it made any sense. And in fact it didn't. Brother Owl said, "I'm the White Brother Owl. Hoohoo. Yes, it does not rhyme. And it doesn't make any sense. But it's catchy. Well, to a White Brother Owl. Hoohoo. Oh! Look here comes your friends." Butter jumped and ran to the opening. And coming up through the trees were Shie, Megan, and Sir Buttersin. She was so happy to see them. Shie was smiling. When he saw her, he smiled. And she was so overjoyed, that she jumped. She jumped out of the hole. And she didn't even think of her broken wings. Shie's smile vanished when he saw Butter falling. Even Butter was frightened. Then she willed her wings to be healed. Strong and healthy. Beautiful and healed. And so they were. They healed perfectly. And Butter flew to Shie. And she hugged him tight. She didn't let go. She didn't want to. And Shie hugged her back. They stayed that way for a long time. Finally, Shie pulled away and exclaimed, "You remember me!" Butter laughed. She hugged him again, although not for as long. She answered, "Yes! And I remember my name's not Butter Fire!" Megan looked at her with disgust. She sneered, "Of coarse! You thought you just fit in? You cause my brother, your brother, your mother, your father, my mother, and my father grief! Leaving and never coming back! And now you act like everything's fine! You killed our mother!" Butter looked at Megan and gaped. Then she remembered. Razor Leaf! Butter snorted, "Your just jealous! Or is it anger? My foster sister got your boyfriend! Well I'll give you some news! Razor Leaf is a big, snotty, jerk! And I didn't kill your mother! AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS! NOR WHO MY FAMILY WAS! SO DON'T GO TELLING ME I WAS A LITTLE BRAT! BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN ALL YOU WERE WAS A BRAT! YOU WERE NEVER ANYTHING! IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD NOT TO GO UP TO YOU AND SLAP YOU! AND YET YOU WANT TO LECTURE ME WHO I AM? I DON'T THINK SOOOOOOOOOO!" 'So' was drawn out into a screech. Butter could feel her anger flame. And she could also feel herself form. She formed into a hawk. And she saw flames all around Megan. And when she saw how frightened Megan was, she realized just how angry she was with Razor Leaf. Butter flinched and formed back into a fairy. She flew over to Megan and held her against her chest. She heard Megan start to sob. Butter murmured, "It's okay. I'm sorry. I didn't think you were in this much pain. I'm so sorry. But Razor Leaf is nothing but a big player. After you, he dated many girls before settling on my foster sister. Shh, it's okay." Butter was trying to help. And Megan seemed to take it in. Finally, Megan dried her tears and announced, "I will not shed a single tear for Razor Leaf. I will not think one though of him as my once- long-ago boyfriend. Now he is just an acquaintance." She smiled. Proud that she wouldn't hurt for him anymore. And Butter was proud of her as well. Butter turned back to Shie and said, "I know what my birth name is now." Shie smiled and his eyes challenged her. So did his voice when he asked, "What is it?" Butter smiled and announced, "My true name is Mint Blossom." Butter smiled proudly. Shie laughed and asked, "Yeah and your nickname is Minty. So what do you want to be called? Butter? Minty? Mint? Blossom?" Mint thought about it for a minute and answered, "Mint or Minty. Just like old times." Shie grinned at her. She grinned back. She flew back up into the hole and said, "Thanks for letting me stay here. I'm in your dept." Brother Owl hooted and said, "No my dear, you owe me nothing. Besides you'll never find me again. I'm leaving tonight." Mint looked down, then she brightened up. Mint started to hop up and down. She was squealing, "How about I find you a female owl? Would that pay me dept?" Brother Owl's eyes widened and he stuttered for a good minute. Finally, he answered, "No female would even consider me. I'm too old. But it would pay your so called dept." Mint smiled her widest and flew out the hole. She hit Shie had full speed. She backed up a bit and said, "I'm going to go find a owl. A lady. I'll be back soon!" She zoomed off. Shie wasn't very far behind her. When she finally got tired, she stopped on a branch. Shie came up soon after, panting. He gulped in big breaths. He gaped, "I…..thought….you'd….never…..stop." Mint laughed and said, "Silly! You could have just yelled out. Besides, were not stopping for long. I'm going to morph. You can ride me if you like." Before Shie could respond, Mint began to change. She turned into her favorite bird. A hawk. She clicked her beak. And Shie felt her say, "Lets go! Where wasting time!" Shie didn't move. He exclaimed, "I heard you in my mind! Your gift is flying faster than you can!" The hawk looked at him and started to morph once more. While it morphed it said, "What do you mean? I'm talking to you aren't I?" Finally, Mint was standing before him. Shie answered, "Yeah, your talking. But I heard you in my mind. Not my ear!" Mint looked at him and said, "Silly, I can't do that." Shie looked at her and scowled. He thought for a minute and said, "You know what they say about us back at your island? They say we have no emotions. We don't care. But when you came to this island, so many years ago, you changed that. I used to be like that. But no more. When I saw you, my whole world changed. You introduced me to the stars and plants. You taught me not to fear hawks. They were fascinating to you. We have a different custom here. Once we find our soul mate, we're not so dark and uncaring any more. We become happy. Your history has been wrong from day one. We Sorrow fairies aren't made from the cry of a baby. But from the loneliness. Either that or there would be too many of us. But when a baby sees true loneliness, we are made. So when we, the fairies, don't feel lonely anymore, we become happy." Mint seemed taken back. The subject had switched so fast, her head hurt. At one point they had been talking about her mind thing, then they were talking about what Sorrow fairies were. But then she thought, Shie was her other half. The one that made him happy. Mint had always hoped that she could make him happy, when he was down. Now she knew she could. By just being around. She smiled. Then she felt it. The back of her mind tingled. Mint jumped around and saw a great big snake. It looked at her with big yellow eyes. She heard Shie's intake of breath. She waited until the snake striked. But instead it asked "Little bug, were you the one who defeated Lagina?" Mint looked at the snake with horrified eyes. What if she had killed someone, or something, and now this was the one to come and take revenge. She felt Shie's warm body close to hers, as he put his arm around her stomach. Mint swallowed and asked, "Who is, or was, Lagina?" The yellow snake didn't move. He cocked his head to the side and answered, "The cobra, who tortured all. The cobra who fought for blood. The cobra, who was killed by an owl. A snowy white owl." Mint looked at the snake and nodded. The snake gasped and announced, "She has killed the traitor Lagina! All come and see for yourself! The great Lagina slayer!" Mint flinched at his raised voice. Then she shrunk against Shie. Snaked of all sizes came from above, below, left, right, of the branch they stood on. One closest to Mint hissed, "Yess, sshe hass slain that terrible beasst! Thank the Ssun Godess!" All over there was hiss's of pleasure. None meant any harm to her. But their thoughts were vile. Mint squeaked, "Did Lagina have a mate?" All this hissing stopped. An anaconda came from above and hissed, "Yess, but not like your mate. He doess not come to her at her call. Ever ssince sshe laid thosse eggss." Mint gasped and shook. Shie cradled her. She asked, "What happens if he comes for me? What of the eggs?" A boomslang came up and answered, "He won't come after you dear. I know for a fact. He never came out of the hole he made a home in. Never. He won't harm you dear. And if he did, he'll won't live for long." Mint asked, "What about the _eggs?"_ A known Dendrobates azureus frog, by the name of Killer Aqua came crawling up. She soothed, "I swear I won't hurt you. Rejjie has seen fit to eat her eggs. He has been waiting so long to eat _her_ eggs. I also say that if any snake wishes to eat you or your mate, I shall poison them." A Smooth Green Snake came daringly close to Shie and Mint. He hissed, "We all are in your dept. You have killed one of the mosst hated of ssnakess. We hated her with all of our sstrength put together. And that iss a lot, with the anaconda and other cobrass. No ssnake sshal harm you. Or your mate." Then they all disappeared. Every single snake left. Every animal who had come to pay their respect. Mint fell to her feet. She laughed, "I think I nearly fell out of the tree. And one of them would probably catch me. I don't understand. Don't all snakes like each other? Why would they want the Lagina dead? Why couldn't they have done it?" Shie fell over laughing. Mint irritated demanded, "What? What is so funny?" Shie stood up with difficulty. He was holding his sides. He thought they were going to fall apart if he left go. He gasped for air and finally able to keep a straight face, just barely, responded, "They kept saying mate, and your worrying about Lagina." Mint looked down. She had noticed that and wished it were true. He foster mother and her real mother thought it the best thing in the world to be married. And Mint wanted a piece of that joy. And she had thought Shie was that. Shie must have seen through her, like usual, and asked, "Were you thinking that it were true?" Mint slowly nodded. Shie sighed and came to sit by her. He slowly said, "You can think of it like that, but you won't get a ring until I can find a perfect one." Mint smiled, but only a sad one. She started to rock back and forth, hitting her shoulder against Shie's shoulder. He rocked with her. She asked, "But how will we know we are right for each other?" Shie looked at her and demanded, "Haven't I made that obvious?" Mint giggled and nodded. Shie nodded and said, "Lagina was very territorial, she would rip any of their heads off. And she would threaten them with her children. They wanted Lagina dead because she had a very important snake secret. One about their gods, how they're alive today. They didn't want any of us to know, in case we decided we wanted their gods dead. And no, not all snakes like each other. Most of them hate each other. Now don't we have a owl to surprise?" Mint smiled and nodded. They both jumped up and flew. They were on a mission to find a lady owl, that would suit Brother Owl. And Mint was sure that she'd find at least one owl. She was sure of it.


End file.
